Guardian Quiptic 1,346 by Chandler

1. Pain he’s displaced, looking fit? (2,5)
IN SHAPE : Anagram of(… displaced) PAIN HE’S.

5. Humble Charles in brief facing figure (7)
CHASTEN : CHAS(the name Charles in the short version/in brief) plus(facing) TEN(a numerical figure).

10. Place to store tools in posh edifice (4)
SHED : Hidden in(in) “posh edifice”

11. Possibly make scarce dessert items (5,5)
CREAM CAKES : Anagram of(Possibly) MAKE SCARCE.

12. Area of activity is special in this place (6)
SPHERE : SP(abbrev. for “special”) + HERE(in this place).

13. Junior in office ahead is one trailing winner (6-2)
RUNNER-UP : RUNNER(a low rank employee/junior in an office/organisation who job is running errands) + UP(ahead/leading in a competitive match).

14. Relics, yep, for sorting out in an exact fashion (9)
PRECISELY : Anagram of(…, for sorting out) RELICS, YEP.

16. Currently fashionable article in Marbella, site for tourists (5)
HOTEL : HOT(currently fashionable/trendy) + EL(the article “the” in the language of Marbella, Spain).
Defn: … to stay in.

17. Crazy British group of soldiers (5)
BARMY : B(abbrev. for “British’) + ARMY(group of soldiers/a military force).

19. Handle in a theatre? (5,4)
STAGE NAME : Cryptic defn: Not a person’s real name/”handle” informally, but one adopted for his/her acting profession/the stage/the theatre.

23. Spend first part of holiday in very popular event (5,3)
SHELL OUT : 1st letter of(first part of) “holiday” contained in(in) SELL-OUT(a very popular event to which all tickets have been sold out/having full attendance).

24. Three in Italy start to notice champion in depression (6)
TRENCH : TRE(Italian for “three”) + 1st letter of(start to) “notice” + CH(abbrev. for “champion”).

26. Regard unfavourably vapid prose requiring editing (10)
DISAPPROVE : Anagram of(… requiring editing) VAPID PROSE.

27. Component in military squad (4)
UNIT : Double defn: 1st: An individual part of a large whole; and 2nd: A small number of soldiers assembled for a particular task.

28. Decree with time accepted by David, say (7)
STATUTE : T(abbrev. for “time”) contained in(accepted by) STATUE(a famous example of which/say is “David” sculpted in marble by Michelangelo).

29. Friend embracing poor Reg showing hypersensitivity? (7)
ALLERGY : ALLY(a friend/a comrade) containing(embracing) anagram of(poor) REG.

Down
2. Born failure prone to roam around house (2-5)
NO-HOPER : Anagram of(… to roam) PRONE containing(around) HO(abbrev. for “house”).

3. Hour with advantage in boundary of a field (5)
HEDGE : H(abbrev. for “hour” in time notation) plus(with) EDGE(a factor which gives an advantage/an upper hand over close rivals).

4. Appropriate opening for snooker or features of the game? (7)
POCKETS : POCKET(to appropriate/to take something valuable dishonestly) + 1st letter of(opening for) “snooker”.
Defn: …, snooker, that is.

6. Kindly chap found in shade (6)
HUMANE : MAN(a chap/a bloke) contained in(found in) HUE(shade/colour)

7. Reduce movement in slow dance (5,4)
SCALE DOWN : Anagram of(movement in) SLOW DANCE.

8. Carry out piece of meat in old container for Elaine (7)
EXECUTE : CUT(a piece/portion of cut meat) contained in(in) [ EX-(prefix indicating “former”/old) + 1st and last letters of(container for) “Elaine” ].

9. Potential sort to alter place with pumps? (6,7)
PETROL STATION : Anagram of(… to alter) POTENTIAL SORT.

15. Amenable one in factory supporting committee (9)
COMPLIANT : [ I(Roman numeral for “one”) contained in(in) PLANT(a factory/an industrial works) ] placed below(supporting, in a down clue) COM(abbrev. for “committee”).
Defn: Inclined to agree with others.

18. This tea is brewed for non-believer (7)
ATHEIST : Anagram of(… is brewed) THIS TEA.

20. Set to receive free gift shortly? Come off it! (3,4)
GET REAL! : GEL(said of a liquid, to set/to thicken) containing(to receive) “treat”(a pleasurable thing enjoyed by one and paid for or arranged by somebody else/a free gift) minus its last letter(shortly).
Defn: …/what you would tell someone if you think what they’re saying is foolish.

21. Way of working by conservative monarch, given to derision? (7)
MOCKING : MO(abbrev. for “modus operandi”/a way of working/a procedure) plus(by) C(abbrev. for a member of the Conservative Party) + KING(a male monarch).

22. Photo cooking ending in pleasant stew (6)
HOTPOT : Anagram of(… cooking) PHOTO + last letter of(ending in) “pleasant”.

25. Avoid introduction lacking in publicity (5)
ELUDE : “prelude”(that serving as an introduction to, say, something more important, or the first act of an opera, or a longer musical piece) minus(lacking in) “pr”(abbrev. for “public relations”/actions to promote goodwill with, say, the public/publicity).